The history of soccer balls date back to ancient times. From a couple centuries BC to about 200 AD, the Chinese used balls made from animal skins in a game called 'tsu chu', in which players had to pass them through a net stretched between two poles. The ancient Greeks, Romans, and even the Egyptians are recorded to have enjoyed a similar game that involved kicking a makeshift ball.

Your kids can continue to play soccer in their yard even after the sun goes down. The Glowcity Light up Soccer ball is equipped with two high bright LED lights. The lights are housed inside the ball and only turn on upon impact. The lights will also stay on during the game. Since the lights and batteries are on the inside, they will continue to work if moisture gets on the ball. The ball is built to survive countless night games as it is composed of a rubber material. The black color with the LED lights gives this ball a super sleek look that will have children excited to play.

This 12-oz. ball works for players between 8 and 12 years old and has a circumference of 26 inches, larger than a size 3 and smaller than the size 5. This age group tends to play on a field of about 30 to 50 yards, writes Deborah W. Crisfield in "The Everything Kids' Soccer Book," with a goal size of around 6 feet high and 18 feet long. Again, the scale for the U12s falls between that of the U8s and that of the older age brackets for the No. 4 ball and the game as a whole. Some leagues may limit the No. 4 ball to U10s instead of U12s, so check league rules before making a purchase.

The first step in purchasing a soccer ball is determining the proper size for your age group. Many soccer leagues have different size requirements, so be sure to check with your coach or organization to find out which is the proper size for the age group that the ball will be used with. Soccer balls for match use come in three different sizes which range from size 3 to size 5.

I personally like more to buy online because I have a bigger choice and I can analyze, watch and compare more things at once. I have more time and I’m relaxed. When you are buying online you can take a look for a discount on coupon sites. Another good way is to subscribe to the store’s email list, so they contact loyal customers when there are any sales or if they have a coupon for you.
Over time, many soccer balls tend to go out-of-round, especially if they are well-used. The Glider is designed to maintain its shape without losing air thanks to the firmness and consistency of the butyl bladder. Under regular use, we found that the air pressure was consistent enough that we didn’t need to add more air to the ball. If you play in organized soccer, then having consistency from the practice ball to the game ball is very important for skill development. The machine-stitched panels offer that experience for most players, even though the ball has the standard panel design.
With it’s almost featherlike weight, this soccer ball promotes confidence amongst kids, as they will be able to kick it farther than standard size three soccer balls. As your kid uses this ball you will almost instantly begin to observe improvement in their confidence and enthusiastic towards the game of soccer. Due to the innovative design of this Rookie Gear Soccer Ball by Spalding, your will have much success as they be able to defend the goal and throw in the ball more smoothly. The cover of this soccer ball is scuff resistant, which is a tough feature to come by these days. You can rest assured knowing that you will not have to worry about annoying scuff marks that are impossible to get off of the ball.
Whatever ball you decide to purchase try to prolong the life of the ball by taking care of it. Don’t let your players stand on the ball or try to change the shape. Don’t leave them outside between practice sessions as prolonged exposure to sun or rain will damage the surface of the ball and dramatically reduce its life. Always try to keep balls clean after play by wiping them down with a damp cloth.
Despite the similarities with the Brazuca, the few differences between this ball and what players have gotten used to over the last four years will have an impact on play, says Firoz Alam, an aerodynamics engineer at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Australia, who has also performed wind tunnel tests on the Telstar 18. “When the player is making a short pass, they have to push a little harder, because at less then 60 kilometers per hour [or 37 miles per hour]it has more flight resistance than the Brazuca,” says Alam. The mid-range passes and corner kicks that gave the Jabulani so much trouble have been resolved. Compared to the Brazuca, the Telstar 18 is also more aerodynamically efficient in the 40-50 mile an hour range, so Alam says players will actually have to kick a little softer or they’re likely to overshoot. Over 55 miles an hour the two balls will feel very similar.
A: Butyl bladders are an excellent choice for the interior of soccer balls because they create an airtight seal in the inner compartment. This helps greatly with air retention. Even better, you will not have to keep inflating soccer balls that contain a butyl bladder for the fact that they hold air much longer than soccer balls that don’t have a bladder made from butyl rubber.
If you're headed to the park to play a quick pickup game, brightly colored adidas soccer balls can help make it easy to distinguish your match from other games that might be being played nearby. Dribbling skills conducted with mini Nike soccer balls can hone your control skills, so you can glide past defenders with ease. Look for 12-panel soccer balls that provide a true, accurate flight with each strike, and rubber butyl bladders that offer excellent shape and air retention, so you can quickly jump into a game without looking for a pump. If you prefer playing indoors, check out a futsal ball that's slightly smaller than regulation soccer balls and is designed for use on hard indoor courts.
In 2010, the infamous Jabulani balls for the World Cup in South Africa transitioned from turbulent to laminar flow between 50 and 45 miles per hour, right at the speed for corner and free kicks. The transition between these different types of flow causes even more drag on the ball, which caused the Jabulani to wobble in the air and drop in ways that players weren’t expecting.
2006 Teamgeist Adidas The Teamgeist is a 14-panel ball. Each match at the World Cup finals had its own individual ball, printed with the date of the match, the stadium and the team names.[17] A special variant, the gold-coloured Teamgeist Berlin, was used in the final match. As in 2003, the ball used for the 2007 Women's World Cup was identical in performance to the ball used in the previous year's World Cup, but with a different visual design.[18] [3]

If you are all about playing soccer competitively or recreationally, you know how important it is that you have a great game ball for play. The thing is, buying a quality soccer ball can get really expensive, and it can be difficult to find a great soccer ball for a great price. So where do you start looking for finding a good soccer ball for a low price?

“I kind of feel sympathy for the players and especially the goalkeepers that have to get used to a new ball,” Goff says. So far the Telstar 18 has received criticism from a few goalkeepers that played with it starting in November, unhappy with how it moves in the air and the way the surface feels. Goalkeepers, unlike every other player on the pitch, have to predict where the ball will go in order to block it, while also not having the freedom to run around the field to adjust as the ball flies. That means goalies often have the most complaints about a new design. “Every time there’s a World Cup and a new ball the goalkeepers complain, because they’ve been given a new ball,” says Goff.

Weighing just under 10 ounces, the Full Sized World International Soccer Ball comes as an ideal buy for all such customers who want to enjoy this beautiful game within a budget. When it is available at an almost cut-price, it has the same size as that of an official soccer ball. So if you want to play with a standard size soccer ball, this is one of the least expensive products which you can purchase.
With the exception of the Wilson Traditional soccer ball, each of the soccer balls above is unique. Not only by the bold colors and detailed designs but the machine stitching technology that has sewn the panels together. Kids can benefit greatly from having a soccer ball that stands out because it will encourage them to learn more about soccer so that they can really use their cool, unique soccer ball. A unique ball will also distinguish their ball from many others at soccer practices and camps.
The Adidas Starlancer Performance soccer ball is great for beginners and experienced players. The inside of the ball is a nylon-wound carcass that is highly durable. The outside of the ball is composed of a special TPU material and is designed to withstand hard impacts. The ball arrives deflated, but once it is inflated the butyl bladder keeps the air secured inside. The bladder also gives the ball it’s round shape. The ball is available in a bright pink and blue design as well as a bright green and black design.
This is a great way to find additional information about the ball. When I’m buying online I always look if I can find something like this. Just take a look at that and you will for sure find extra information. When you are buying local this is a little bit harder, but you can still ask the vendor or somebody that has already bought that or similar ball in that shop.
This soccer ball is specifically designed for entry level youth players so that your young boy or girl will have no problem controlling this ball. In contrast to several of the soccer balls for kids on our list, this ball does not come inflated making for a learning experience for your young one. Kids can learn all about the mechanics of properly inflating a soccer ball before they began to play with it. The vibrant color of this ball paired with a dark asymmetrical pattern on the foreground presents a wonderful visual sensory stimulation experience for your young kid.
The history of soccer balls date back to ancient times. From a couple centuries BC to about 200 AD, the Chinese used balls made from animal skins in a game called 'tsu chu', in which players had to pass them through a net stretched between two poles. The ancient Greeks, Romans, and even the Egyptians are recorded to have enjoyed a similar game that involved kicking a makeshift ball.

Good soccer games begin and end with your soccer ball! Without the right one, all the slick moves, all the training and team work are not going to make up for points lost by not having the right soccer ball. By understanding the differences between balls, how to select the right ball for you, and how to make the most of your soccer ball can mean all the difference in your game. Reach your soccer goals this season and check out Epic's full line of affordable soccer balls for all ages and abilities.

While using the soccer balls above, kids can learn an abundant amount of things and develop a variety of traits. The textures and vibrant designs of each soccer ball on our list can aid in visual and tactile stimulation. The materials used in each soccer ball can help to develop auditory sensory skills as each ball makes a unique sound when it is hit by a cleat.

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When any object goes through the air, a thin cushion of air wraps around it that stays relatively still. This boundary layer is why you get dust trapped on your ceiling fan. At slower speeds, the air around a soccer ball moves smoothly over the surface and separates off the sides of the ball at its widest points. Imagine a ball moving from right to left across a clock, Goff explains, so traveling from the 3 to the 9. With laminar flow, the air flows over the surface and then flows off at the 12 and 6, which creates more drag in the air. Drag slows the ball down faster. At higher speeds, the air moves turbulently across the ball’s surface and peels off at the 2 and 4. The wind effectively wraps around the back. This turbulent flow has less drag, which means the ball keeps moving at high speed for longer.
Some of the best moments are made with a soccer ball. Whether it’s an official World Cup, Copa America or Champions League ball, we have licensed competition balls to ignite your gameday play … and the training balls that will get you there. Find performance-crafted soccer balls at Hibbett Sports in just the right size, from size 3 for the youngest players to size 5 for the most experienced. Shop indoor play with 6-panel balls, or 18- to 32-panel outdoor panel balls with ultimate control and playability. We have the right ball for natural or artificial turf. Select from match, premium match or training balls. Is Futsal your game? We have those too. Hibbett Sports’ high-volume purchasing power means in-stock access to the brands you trust like adidas, Nike, Select and more. Shop soccer balls in the store or online at Hibbett Sports.
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This makes such a cute gift for a toddler or baby! I love the fox design. I bought this for my 1 year old for Christmas and he loves it. It comes deflated and comes with a small air pump and it’s super easy to inflate. I also like that it’s made of a sturdy material if a baby or toddler bites into it, they aren’t going to get a chunk out of it (like they might with foam toys). It doesn’t bounce, but it’s fun to kick around and won’t hurt too much if kids are throwing it around and it happens to hit someone on accident. (I would know because my 3 year old loves to throw it at his little brother, lol.)
One thing which customers often complain about soccer balls is their poor air retention ability. After a few days on the field, the ball starts to deflate which serves as a big problem for anyone who has to use it on a daily basis. However, there is no such thing with the Top Glider as inside this ball is the butyl bladder which is becoming a norm with the majority of the Adidas soccer ball’s nowadays for better air retention.
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The Futsal ball is typically smaller, harder, and heavier, allowing for less bounce and better control on harder surfaces. Senda Athletics is the official ball partner of U.S. Youth Futsal and the Vitoria is the Official Ball of the USYF League. Accented with bright red or green and created with fair trade practices, its stamp of "Respect," "Joy," and "Community" expresses the company's philosophy.
This ball has a TPU cover that we wouldn’t describe as “highly durable” for rough play. Although it handles indoor turf, it won’t handle concrete, gravel, or court-based play like you have with futsal. This ball prefers to have a natural or artificial grass surface and that is about it. If you happen to impact a tree, run the ball on concrete, or have it bounce on a gravel driveway, the outer cover does tend to get scratched up pretty rapidly. The butyl bladder is of a higher quality than other balls at this price point, allowing the ball to hold its inflation pressure with an impressive amount of consistency.
This ball truly lives up to its name as a “glider,” having a stable flight path when shot and a nice feel when passed. The surface is relatively grippy, which is great for goalkeepers looking to practice their catches. Because the ball isn’t as slippery as some other replicas, you can shoot it with a bit more swerve, and dribbling and skill moves are a bit easier.
The ultimate determination is how a soccer ball feels and performs for you on contact. A good soccer ball will not only be tough enough to hold up to your fast and furious play, it will feature a soft casing for comfortable heading, and durable stitching (if stitched). It should handle well, and have good response. Most good soccer game balls feature a poly-urethane (PU) casing. Most leagues prefer 32-panel designs for its performance value. Also check for a warranty. Your new soccer ball should come with a manufacturer's warranty against defects and damage caused by normal play.
This soccer ball is specifically designed for entry level youth players so that your young boy or girl will have no problem controlling this ball. In contrast to several of the soccer balls for kids on our list, this ball does not come inflated making for a learning experience for your young one. Kids can learn all about the mechanics of properly inflating a soccer ball before they began to play with it. The vibrant color of this ball paired with a dark asymmetrical pattern on the foreground presents a wonderful visual sensory stimulation experience for your young kid.
Shop hand-stitched, machine-stitched and thermally bonded soccer balls for the size and construction you're looking for, like size 5 soccer balls, including adult soccer balls and kids soccer balls. Check out soccer balls from top brands, including adidas® soccer balls, Nike® soccer balls and Select® soccer balls. Shop the best soccer balls for top-rated styles.